Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for controlling sweepstakes winners. In conventional sweepstakes the winning “tickets” are predetermined prior to distribution of the tickets to sweepstakes participants. For example, in a scratch-off sweepstakes the winning combinations of numbers, letters, images, etc. are predetermined so that both the entity running the sweepstakes and the sweepstakes participants can determine when a winning combination has been revealed by scratching-off a protective layer over the combination of numbers, letters, images, etc. If the entity running the sweepstakes desires to control the variability of the winning tickets the entity can, for example, control the distribution of winning tickets so that the winning tickets are distributed across a number of different geographic areas. This is the extent of control provided by conventional sweepstakes techniques.
This limited control is problematic for a number of reasons. For example, under conventional techniques there exists the possibility that all of the winning tickets are uncovered early during the sweepstakes period. Thus, it would be known that the remainder of the sweepstakes period will not produce any further winners which can be problematic when the sweepstakes is performed in connection with marketing of a product or service because there will no longer be any consumer interest in participating in a sweepstakes that can no longer produce winners. Similarly, a single person may end up winning multiple times in a single sweepstakes, which may be viewed as unfair by other sweepstakes participants.